Villages

In the early 1960’s, when Alaska Village Missions (AVM) founders Ray Arno arrived in Alaska he realized that to reach this state with the Gospel meant leaving the road system and heading into the skies. He sold his car and purchased a small plane, though at the time he didn’t know how to fly. With the majority of land in this state completely inaccessible by roads, to share Christ here means bush planes in cold isolated villages. This was the vision of Ray Arno and Alaska Village Missions was born.

Over the past 40 years, AVM has evangelized and discipled native populations, established radio stations, trained and encouraged bush missionaries and helped plant churches across South-central and South-western Alaska. Currently another church is being completed in the small village of Port Graham, a Sugpiaq village of about 150 people. Village by village, God is using AVM to impact the people of this great state.

The needs in bush Alaska are tremendous. With astronomical rates of abuse, suicide and alcoholism, these isolated pockets of people are crying out for the love of Christ and for the establishment of solid Bible-teaching churches. Though we rejoice in the number of villages AVM has been used of God to impact, there are still scores of villages across this land with NO church. There is much work to be done out here in this isolated and cold corner of the continent. Pray for our Lord to call more servants to this hurting land!

If you have an interest in ministering to the villages of Alaska, please contact Sam Gandy, our Director of Village Church Planting.  He can be reached by email.  s.gandy@alaskavillagemissions.org

For more information: www.alaskavillagemissions.org